Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Writing for Profit, Character Creation, Cling to God

There is a tradition in my household. When you have a birthday, you get to enjoy and celebrate it for not just the day, but the whole month also. Well, this month is my devotional book's birthday! It was a year ago on the 18th October Cling to God: A Daily Devotional was released into the world.

Very exciting! Can't believe how fast that year went by.

If you'd like to find a daily pocket of peace in this chaotic world, and wish to buy my book for yourself or as a gift (Christmas is coming rapidly!), then it's available from Amazon Paperback, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes.

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This month's optional IWSG question:  Have you ever slipped any of your personal information into your characters, either by accident or on purpose?

Maybe not my bank account information, but there's certainly aspects of me in every character. Thankfully I am, along with everyone else, a creature of complexity, so I can draw from many aspects. In my opinion, it's unavoidable. We see the world through our own eyes, even when we try to see it through someone else's. We are the sum of our experiences. To write, we tap into what we know based on what we have observed and experienced and from what we've heard others experience. We then mash all that input together and process it in a way only we uniquely know how. This knowledge becomes a part of who we are. We influence and are influenced. Consequently our interpretation of the world has to come out in our writing. Pieces of  ourselves and others get mixed into our characters. What I haven't done is create a character wholly based on my perception of "me" or the "me" of a specific someone. All my characters are based on a mix.


Every first Wednesday of the month the members of the IWSG post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG, then please go HERE to find out more and join up.






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The Insecure Writer's Support Group: Writing for Profit

From writing to publishing to marketing, the Insecure Writer's Support Group members provide tips on making money as a writer. This free guide represents the spirit of the IWSG - to encourage and support writers everywhere! It is our hope that this book will benefit you as a writer, no matter where you are in the journey.


Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Kobo


56 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Good point that characters are based on our interpretation of the world. Someone else mentioned not writing a main character with vastly different views and morals from our own. And I know I never would.
Happy one year to Cling to God! I have my copy.

Patsy said...

I agree it's not possible to avoid putting something of ourselves into our writing. I think that's a good thing - it gives each writer a unique voice.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

A whole year! You'll be delighted to know the weekend of the book festival, Dancing Lemur Press sold out of your book FIRST. Since we are also reading it every night, it was my husband who made each sale, as he's really enjoying the little dose of God right before we go to sleep.

Pat Garcia said...

Happy Birthday to your book Cling to God! I have it and can say it is a devotional that radiates peace and hope.
All the best.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

Natalie Aguirre said...

So agree with what you said about how parts of us are in our writing. Happy Book Birthday! And awesome that Diane sold out on your book first.

Just got the Anthology on writing for profit. Hope it'll help with my insecurities.

Pat Hatt said...

That is very true. Can't help but get some of us in there. A year is a grand thing to celebrate too!

Raimey Gallant said...

This raises an interesting point, and possibly more fodder for my characters: I can create them based on other's perceptions of me, not just my own. Great post and congrats on your release!

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Happy book birthday! I love the idea of celebrating for a whole month. Hmm, might have to implement that plan.... :)

Rachna Chhabria said...

Happy Book Birthday, Lynda. I love the idea of celebrating for the whole month. I'm going to do that now. I agree that there are aspects of us in all our characters :)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Lynda - yes we must celebrate moments in our lives - and your book is special to many - so congratulations ... and here's to many more - cheers Hilary

Christine Rains said...

Happy book birthday! :) And yes, I think we all slip in a bit of ourselves into our characters whether we realize it or not.

Neurotic Workaholic said...

I like it when writers include parts of their personal lives/selves in their stories and characters. For example, the writer Jhumpa Lahiri has written several stories about professors and grad students; I think it's because she earned more than one master's degree and understands how they think.

Carol Kilgore said...

Happy first birthday to your book!
There's some of me in all my characters, too. The dark side shines brighter in a few.

Carol Riggs said...

Yaaaaay, congrats on your book's birthday #1!! (wow, time flies!) And yep, I'm hidden in my characters in one form or another too. Some of it is accidental and some is on purpose. :) Take care!

emaginette said...

Calling it a mix is accurate for me as well. Happy book and personal birthday to you. Enjoy your month. :-)

Anna from elements of emaginette

Nick Wilford said...

Congrats on you book birthday! You're right that time goes fast - I thought you just released it...

You answered the question excellently. We can't help aspects of our experience coming out in what we write, it's a subconscious thing.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Congratulations on your book birthday, Lynda. The time went so fast. Love your answer. I agree 100%. Happy IWSG.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I'll respond to everyone's comments a bit later, but I had to leave a response now before I have to head off... I'm so thrilled to hear my book was the first to sell out. And I'm super chuffed your husband is loving my book also. Thank you again for making another one of my days :)

Jemi Fraser said...

My experience is similar - lots of bits of me but no ME in my story :)

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the birthday of your book! I do agree - we are creatures of complexity. I'm not sure everyone appreciates how rich and nuanced we are as individuals, and how mining those layers of experience can create depth in our characters.

Joey Lynn Resciniti said...

Happy Birthday to your book! My daughter and I will be needing a new devo for January 1 so I’m going to check it out.

The Cynical Sailor said...

What a wonderful tradition to celebrate a birthday for an entire month. Happy book release birthday :-)

S.P. Bowers said...

Happy Book Birthday! I can't believe it's been a year already.

I, too, believe there are bits of me in all my characters.

Victoria Marie Lees said...

The human animal is indeed complex and so too should our characters be. It's so wonderful your book has been out a year already. More power to you, Lynda! Enjoy your day!

Juneta key said...

Happy Birthday Devotion Book. Wahoo! Great post. I like what Alex said. I guess really characters if the MC normal share core values in some form with me. Had not thought about it like that before.
Juneta @ Writer's Gambit

Chemist Ken said...

Congratulations on the book anniversary. Will there be any cake?

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I've written main characters with vastly different morals than my own, but only in short stories. I don't think I could spend that kind of time with that kind of character for a novel, though.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

That's exactly right. There aren't any new stories, but plenty of unique voices.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thank you so much, Pat. That means a lot to me.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I'm so thrilled my book did so well at the festival.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Pat. I'm still in shock it has been a year already.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Fodder comes from anywhere and everywhere ;)
Thanks, Raimey.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Celebration should always be a long-term enjoyment.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Great to hear! I love spreading the joy.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thank you so much, Hilary

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Christine

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Understanding how another thinks is key to authenticity.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

You made me chuckle that your dark side shines brighter in a few.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Carol. We can't help putting parts of ourselves in our characters.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Anna. I plan to make it a wonderful month.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Yeah, it feels like I just released it...

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Happy IWSG to you too. Thanks, Joylene.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

exactly!! Big hugs :)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I agree. Only a few understand the true richness of the species.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Wonderful! I hope it lifts your world a little.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

It's a good tradition.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Yeah, I can't believe it's been a year already too. It went crazy fast.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thank you so much, Victoria.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

There is always cake. Homemade yummy cake. The best kind.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Juneta. Often our characters surprise us in one way or another.

Olga Godim said...

Happy birthday to your book! How exciting.
Yes, there are pieces of the writer in everything she writes.

Michelle Wallace said...

Happy Book Birthday, Lynda!
A year? Already?
Enjoy your month-long celebration.

Deniz Bevan said...

I don't have a character that's wholly me, either. That would be too much like non-fiction, or a fictional memoir!

Toi Thomas said...

Cling to God is a good book. Happy Birthday to a lovely book of devotion.
I too agree that even when we try to see things the way others do, we see the world in our own special way.

Mary Aalgaard said...

Happy Book Birthday! I bought it a couple month's ago.

Zan Marie said...

I know that using real life touches makes my contemporary stories more realistic. Congrats on your books and Happy Birthday!